in multi-grain cheerios peanut butter. tonight on "nightline," hate religious? love geus, it's the church-bashing wrarth with millions of hits. meet a young evangelist creating his own brand of christianity. he's gone viral. >> the last lions. facing an increasingly desperate struggle to survive in the wild. but the power-of-a lioness's widow and an uncommon tale. and where's the beef? it's gradually disappearing from the dinner plate. tonight, one carnivore chef takes on the challenge to dial

back. good evening, i'm bill weir. hope you had a great holiday. religious refugees help found this country. spiritual pioneers helped settle it. nowadays, no need to hitch a wagon. tonight we'll meet a very young man, a rapping preacher with an exploding internet audience. here again, neal karlinsky, for our series, faith matters. >> what if i told you geus came to abolish religion? >> his rap video has been viewed more than 22 million times. it is a slickly produced youtube

video from a guy no one ever heard of, a born-again christian who makes the claim ha he hates religion, but loves jesus. >> if religion is so great, why does it build huge church, you but fail to feed the poor? >> you see a lot of hypocrisy in organized religion? >> i see a lot of it in the world. >> in the speed of an upload he's found himself speaking for a generation jaded by scandal. >> i think the biggest thing, my generation desires authenticity. we want someone to tell the truth and live it out. we're kind of sick of the typical person held up on a pedestal that then six months later has a sex scandal. >> reporter: this isn't your father's christianity. he's now reaching a far bigger

audience than billy graham packed into a stadium. >> a guy who lives on a bunk bed with his roommate and works a job helping disadvantaged kids, is suddenly a very big deal. churches and universities across the country want to bring him out to speak and perform. >> but now that i know jesus, i know my weaknesses. >> at a recent service, we found young people swarming him for autographs and pictures and talking about his video. >> it's all over facebook and twitter. >> it's becoming a global uproar. >> reporter: but not everyone's a fan. >> none of us are perfect. but christ and religion, many you can't really settle. >> the faithful have come to the defense of the church in a series of raps that mimic him. >> you make some good points, that i will give you, but to throw religion away is a slap to the one who made you. >> reporter: but they counter his statements point by point.

>> it's like staring at death and blaming the hers. >> there's been some strong reaction. >> i've been called the anti-christ, a false teacher, the devil. yeah, i'm very surprised by the reaction. >> separate religion, no, i hate it. when jesus said, it is finished, i believe he meant it. >> reporter: here's where it gets tricky. he spends every sunday in commurch and now says that not every one of his verses should be taken literally. >> my intent is to write something with grace and jesus at the middle with ruffles feathers and starts conversation. >> this conversation is ruffling feathers. >> i want things to boil up, so we have to deal with them. whether i was right or wrong, whatever people thought about it, i wanted it at the front where we had to talk about them.

>> they're talking all right. newspapers and churches coast to coast have taken up the debate. in the election year, he's part of a new generation of christians, more concerned with social justice than partisan politics. >> what if i told you, voting republican really wasn't -- what if i told you republican doesn't automatically mean christian. >> the newest members that helped elect ronald reagan and george w. bush as the evangelical right, ought to be known for more than opposing gay marriage and abortion. they're now turning their attention on the church itself. >> let me clarify, i love the church, i love the bible, and yes, i believe in sin. but if jesus came to your church, would they actually let him in? >> in my generation, sometime we fall on the side of not thinking or preaching about truth. >> reporter: when you like what

he has to say or not, the message is a provocative one. he, himself, he says he's just a kid from the hood with ambitions to have his own flock. and a church, that's right, a church, which won't follow the mold. i'm neal karlinsky for "nightline" in washington. coming up next, fighting tooth and claw for survival. a story of feline strength, internal courage and enduring pride among the last lions alive. se clamp pliers. you know what's complicated? shipping. shipping's complicated. not really. with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service shipping's easy. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. that's not complicated. no. come on. how about... a handshake.

alright. priority mail flat rate boxes. starting at just $5.15. only from the postal service. those surprising little still make you take notice. there are a million reasons why. but your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach,

delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. to divvy up this shared data plan...fairly. so, um, whoever's fathered the most children, gets the most data. let's just do it by hair. body hair? most dental work. what? [ phones buzzing and beeping ] stop downloading, and stop liking everything. it should be by who has the least amount of cartilage in their left knee. [ mom ] i just want to take a bath. [ male announcer ] say no to sharing. say yes to sprint. with truly unlimited data, text and calling.

pier. >> "nightline" continues from new york city with bill weir. they sit atop the four-legged food chain. but the only lions relatively

certain of survival are the kind that gets fed by human hands. as their numbers in the wild dwindle alarmingly, a big cat's ordeal is invisible. but tonight we meet a couple who have devoted their lives to filming them day after day year after year. the results are breathtaking. as i discovered on a visit to africa and as you'll discover in this encore presentation. >> a storm is building over the plains of botswana. beneath it, a single mother fret is. her name is marval. it's been weeks since an invading pride mortally wounded her mate. and now they will end her cubs. she now has the most primal of decisions, fight or flight. a decision complicated by the croc-infested water that surrounds them. cubs too young to travel fast.

and this family's being stalked by the big invading males and that same rival lioness from the fateful night battle, the fight that gave her the signature wound and the name silver. the last lions include some of the most incredible wildlife footage ever filmed. equally fascinating as love story the audience never sees. the one behind the camera. they are derek and beverly gilbert, filmmakers, big cat protecters and partners in every conceivable way. almost every day for 30 years, these high school sweethearts have been alone together in the wild. >> the longest we went without seeing anybody at all was 270 days, i think. then we needed to get out. >> reporter: you should do a film on marriage.

because i don't know a lot of couples who could live out here for 270 days and still stay together. >> maybe that's the odd thing. you do have to. you have to have that quiet time without society around you. >> that's it. >> reporter: a lifetime ago they left south africa in search of adventure, became smitten with the big cats, and never went back. each dawn they load up their four-wheel drive office. >> hold your breath as we go across. >> reporter: and take that swampy commute across the oka vanga delta and begin looking for the clues that lead us to lions. >> very often they kill them by biting into the throat, biting right in here. we think that that's to block off the veins going up to the brain. >> the lions could have moved there. >> reporter: they work with the quiet patience needed to capture a sequence like this. on the run from silver eye and the others, she swims for safety.

two cubs follow but the littlest one hesitates which is exactly what the hungry crocodile was hoping for. considering the pure brutality of this place, it seems unlikely we'll ever find the stars of the last lions, but wouldn't you know it, the first cat we see, silver eye. >> i feel like i'm seeing a movie star on the street. >> reporter: just around the bend, right next to a kitty cuddle pile, is mito, dozing in the sun. you can't help but marvel at the sound of their breath, their size. chasing cape buffalo through water makes them the most muscular lions in africa. to the gilberts, each one has a soul and a personality. every story they tell, every image they capture is an effort to create a global uproar because these are, quite literally, the last lions. when the gilberts were born there were 450,000 of them in africa. now there's as few as 20,000. each year other countries in

africa sell 600 lion-hunting permits, the vast majority to americans. >> we think that these wild lions will be extinct in 10 or 15 years. >> really? >> yeah. >> hunting has been part of the human condition for thousands of years. do you think we can ever eliminate it entirely when it comes to species like this? there's always going to be somebody who will pay a lot of money to come shoot a lion. >> that's the key. with species like this, we have to contain those urges that we have. going out to shoot for the pot, going out to shoot deer in new jersey or wherever you do that, that's a completely different conversation. shooting the last of the 20,000 lions is dramatic. >> do you have children? >> no. these are our children. that was a conscious decision that we made really early on, as we started exploring and we realized that we wouldn't be able to do it with kids. so you might say it was a

selfish decision, but actually, i don't regret it. i think we've been able to dedicate our lives to what we truly believe in, what we're truly passionate in. as we see the decline of all the animals in africa, we could actually fight hard er here. >> we set out to have an extraordinary life and so far we have. >> have they ever. to see more wildlife photography like theirs you can always visit natgeowild.com. just ahead, the new american diet, less about meat, more about potatoes? a carnivorous chef tries to be part of the less-meat revolution. chef tries to be part of the less-meat revolution. ut the blowing the stacking the steaming. that's the transformative power of one ingenious little breathe right.

try one free at breatheright.com and open your nose instantly. feel the power of air sleep like you mean it and rise to mornings alive with activity. breathe better, sleep better. one free try is all it takes. it's your right to breathe right! hey, bro. or engaging. conversations help us learn and grow. at wells fargo, we believe you can never underestimate the power of a conversation. it's this exchange of ideas that helps you move ahead with confidence. so when the conversation turns to your financial goals... turn to us. if you need anything else, let me know. wells fargo. together we'll go far. we believe small things can make a big difference.e, like how a little oil from here can be such a big thing in an old friend's life. we discovered that by blending enhanced botanical oils into our food,

we can help brighten an old dog's mind so he's up to his old tricks. it's just one way purina one is making the world a better place... one pet at a time. discover vibrant maturity and more at purinaone.com. [ rain pattering ] [ heels clicking ] [ female announcer ] yoplait light tastes great now... ♪ ...and feels great later 20 delicious flavors of yoplait light,

now at 90 calories each. yoplait, it is so good!

these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? maybe. rich chocolate chips... i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and, and...and then the awards started coming in, and i became addicted to the fame. topped with chocolaty drizzle... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one. fiber beyond recognition.

the fading smell of labor day grill smoke helps prove the point, this is a nation largely of karn vors. we eat more meat per person than anymore anywhere else on earth.

recent usda studies suggest that our devotion to t bones and pork chops is waning as more americans opt to put away the steak knife. we linked up with a meat-loving chef to see if he could kick the habit. >> for angelo sosa, every day he has to keep energized. >> my days are intense. my mind has to be working at a fast rate. >> i have this mon golian lam, picking it up by the chop and massacring it. >> reporter: today 30% of americans are eating less meat. concerns over the environment and higher prices have led to meatless monday and a 12% drop in consumption. dialing back the meat and amping up the vegetable, fruits and

whole grains. >> i don't need to be weighed down, i don't need more fat in my system. >> reporter: the first day, he ate at this asian restaurant, a caesar salad with chicken. >> you're getting the lettuce which is refreshing and makes you feel good. >> reporter: the manager brings by the virgin ploody mary being tested. but he wants to add something more carnivorous to it. >> i could totally imagine smoked lam or a nice oyster. pork belly would be amazing. >> before you think you have to be a celebrity chef to go with a less meat diet, meat mark bikman, noted foodie for "the new york times." he's ought to prove that anyone can easily and affordably eat less meat as he does. >> how do we get past the thing that what we believe that vegetables are boring? >> combining vegetables with meat makes them more

interesting. this is how people ate. meat and fish were treasures, treats. he gave me a lesson in less-meat cooking. he works up a pork and beans male, but light on the pork. >> how much healthier is this? >> it's lower in fat, no question. it's higher in micro nutrients. >> reporter: but will it be satisfying to a long-time meat eater like me? >> i enjoyed that. >> reporter: he's also looking for a little bit of pork. >> this is amazing. >> reporter: chorizo in this case, while eating at a mexicante keela bar. >> this is a corn tamaly. >> reporter: hidden deep inside is a piece of pork sausage. >> still very healthy. in proportion, the chorizo was four parts corn, one part chorizo.

>> reporter: sosa said he felt different with less meat. >> my body feels heavy. i feel like it's running on high-octane gas. >> reporter: the chef said he cut his meat intake by about 2/3. >> it's like having caviar. you don't have it all the time. >> reporter: so the meat tastes better now? >> it tastes a hundred times better now. >> reporter: this is what scares the meat industry. while large numbers of americans are unlikely to become vegetarians, more and more are cutting back on meat and still finding their meals satisfying and healthy. meat, the new side dish. >> reminds me of grandma, always talked about once a week meat. hope you'll join us tomorrow from charlotte and the democratic national convention where first lady michele obama did her walk through before her big speech tomorrow night. jimmy kimmel is